Game apparatus.



Lwamso H. FORD.

' SPRING SUSPENSION.

APPLIOATION FILED 0011s, 1911.

Patnted N 0V. 12, 1912.

2 SHBETSSHBET 2.

anoe/wtoa J/emylbmu? J. H. FOUTS. GAME APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 25, 1911.

Patented Nov. 12,1912.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

JAMES H. FOUTS, or MOLINE, KANSAS.

GAME APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. Fours, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Elk and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. y

This invention is an improved game apparatus embodying a. game board having alleys, pockets and spaces, a ball or movable piece which may be projected through the alleys of the game board as by a one or mallet, and a pack of cards for use by the players to determine the value of the plays, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

I call my game the game of Wild cat.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of a game apparatus constructed in accordance wit-h my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line bb of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line c-a of Fig. 1; and Fig. i is a plan of the cards, used in connection with the game board, and the ball.

The game board 1, which is rectangular in form, is, in practice, pivotally, centrally mounted on a suitable supporting table or stand 2. To thus pivotally mount the board I here show a bolt 3 which has an enlarged flattened head t which is recessed in and secured to the bottom of the game board, at the center thereof. A bearing sleeve 5 is disposed in a central opening in the top of the table or stand. The bolt extends down through and has its bearing in the sleeve and is held in place, to hold the board, by means of a washer 6, which bears against the bottom of the top of the table or stand, and a nut 7. The game board is formed wit-h a centrally disposed main alleySwhich extends from end to end of the game board, and with sub-alleys on opposite sides of the main alley, and the inner ends of which communicate therewith. These sub-alleys are at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the main alley and are alike on both sides of the game board. These sub-alleys are respectively indicated A, B, C, D and E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1911.

Patented Nov. T12, 1912. Serial No. 656,574.

The sub-alleys A and B diverge from the main alley and communicate with each other, the sub-alleys A. ending at the front corners of the game board and being provided there with pool pockets F. The alleys B and C meet at the sides of the game board and are respectively provided with communicating pool pockets G and H. The alleys D converge to the alleys E at the sides of the game board and are respectively provided with pool pockets I and K. Triangular lands M are formed between the alleys A and the main alley, similar lands N are formed between the sub-alleys B and C, and triangular lands 0 are formed between the alleys D and E. The width of the space across the communicating pockets G H and I K between the side walls of the board andthe apices of the lands N, l) is less than the diameter of the ball used in playing the game and hence the pockets, although they communicate, are sufficiently separated by the apices of the lands to prevent the hall from passing from one communicating pocketinto the next.

The lands M are spaced apart a greater distance than the lands N and the latter are spaced apart a greater distance than the lands 0. Hence the main alley differs in width at various points from its front to its rear ends. The front corners of the lands N are provided with cushions 9 which project into the main alley and the front corners of the lands 0 are provided with similar cushions 10. A cushion 11 extends across the rear end of the main alley and partially into the right and left hand suballeys E. The sides of the sub-alleys are marked into spaces of different values. In the embodiment of my invention here shown the sides of the alleys A are marked into spaces 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25; those of the alleys B are marked into spaces 1, 2, 8, 4: and 5; those of the alleys (l are marked into spaces 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20; those of the alleys D are marked into spaces 2, t, 6, 8 and 10 and those of the alleys E are marked into spaces 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. These numbers represent points in the game. The pockets F are each of the value of one hundred points, the pockets H are of the value of twenty points and the pockets G are of the value of eighty points. The pockets K are of the value of forty points and the pockets I are of the value of sixty points. The end wall of the game board, at the front end of the same, is provided with a notch It. The ball S which is used with the game board is of suitable size and, when the game board is small, the ball, if pre ferred, may be a marble. The game board may be made of anysuitable size according to whether it is to be used simply as a toy or for more serious playing and for indoor and outdoor use. Preferably the surfaces of the board forming the bottom and sides of the various alleys are covered wit-h suitable cloth, but this is optional.

The ball is projected by means of a one or mallet or by a movement of the thumb or finger, according to the size of the game apparatus and it is the object of the players to so direct the ball as to cause it to land in one of the pockets. I also provide, in connection with the game board and ball, a pack of cards indicated at T which comprises five suits of two cards each, respectively numbered 1, 2, 3, f and 5. These cards are provided with legends indicating the values of the various spaces of the right and left sub-alleys. The cards of the suits indicate the values of the spaces in the right and left hand alleys. In the present instance, one of the cards in suit 1 indicates the value of space 25 in right hand alley A, of space 5 in left hand alley B, of space 20 in right hand alley C, space 10 in left hand alley D and space 15 in right hand alley E, and one of the cards of suit 3 indicates the value of space 15 in left play alley A, space 3 in right hand alley B, space 12 in left hand 'alley C, space 6 in right hand alley D and space 9 in left hand alley E. That is to say, while each card indicates the value of certain spaces in certain of the sub-alleys no two of the cards are exactly alike and each designates the values of different spaces in different suballeys.

The game may be played by two or more persons. When four play they play as pairs or partners. In playing, the ball is shot from notch R unless it is a repeat, as when it has lodged in one of the pockets. The player who lands the ball in one of the pockets is credited with a number of points corresponding with the designation of said pocket and is also entitled to another play from the front of the game board, but he must not then play for the same pocket. When. a player lands a ball in one of the spaces of one of the sub-alleys he is not en titled to a point unless he holds a card designating that particlular space of that particular suballey, in which event he scores, according to the value of that space. If, however, his opponent holds a card des- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

1 ,oaapse ignating that particular space the opponent scores instead of the player.

When starting the game the cards are dealt between the players, or if an uneven number of persons play the superfluous cards are then discarded. Ordinarily, to determine the order in which the players shall play, they first shoot the ball from the notch R and the one who makes the highest score plays first, and the others in relative order according to their scores. When playing, the player or pair of players who first gets five hundred points wins the game.

In order to properly separate the scoring numerals which are displayed along the walls of the alleys, I provide spacing pins S, but it is to be understood that these are not essential, being used only to assist the players in determining the number of points won.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. The herein described game apparatus comprising a game board having a main alley, sub-alleys communicating therewith, pockets at the outer ends of the sub-alleys and designated spaces in the sub-alleys, and a ball for projection in the main and suballeys of the board.

2. The herein described game apparatus comprising a game board having a main alley, sub-alleys communicating therewith, pockets at the outer ends of the sub-alleys and designated spaces in the sub-alleys, a ball for projection in the main and suballeys of the board, and a support on which the game board is mounted for revolution.

3. The herein described game apparatus comprising a game board having a main alley, sub-alleys communicating therewith, pockets at the outer ends of the sub-alleys and designated spaces in the sub-alleys, a ball for project-ion in the main and suballeys, and a pack of cards containing designations of the values of the spaces in the sub-alleys.

l. The herein described game for amusement parlors comprising a large oblong table having a main alley, sub-alleys communicating therewith, pockets at the outer ends of the sub-alleys and designated spaces in the sub-alleys, a ball for projection in the main'and sub-alleys, and a pack of cards containing designations of the values of the spaces in the sub-alleys.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atfix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JAMES H. FOUTS.

W'itnesses:

J. F. SPRAY, 0. S. MYERS.

Washington, D. 0. 

